About

It’s the 1940s in the United States. World War 2 has wrought such destruction that the veil between this world and the world of the dead has thinned. Monsters have crept in. You are a criminal or a cop in a noir landscape of crime, corruption, red eyes in the shadows, and bumps in the night...and you have super-powers!

CAPERS Noir is a supplement for the BAMFsie award-winning CAPERS RPG, which is set in the 1920s Prohibition Era of the United States.

BUT FEAR NOT! The core game is also available here...CHEAP!

You can get the core book at a lower price than anywhere else as part of this Kickstarter and play either version of the game...or combine them. Much of what's presented in CAPERS Noir is perfectly usable in CAPERS. Plus, it has a whole new 1940s setting and theme you can play in.

In CAPERS Noir, you portray a character with extraordinary abilities living in a world filled with nefarious criminals, corrupt cops, and creatures that lurk in the night. You join up with others to unravel mysteries and deal with the darkness, all the while building your criminal empire...or enforcing the law and bringing criminals to justice.

CAPERS Noir offers a complete 1940s Los Angeles backdrop that carries the CAPERS time line forward 20 years. It also includes new content that can be used in the CAPERS game with no modification required:

Expanded character options

Expanded rules for investigations and falling to corruption

New powers

Additional GM guidelines and tools

Monsters that lurk in the night

The world of dead things and decay...The Gloam

CAPERS Noir is a game of criminals, cops, mystery, and monsters in a world filled with dark corners. Your character will explore this world, all the while hoping they don't fall to corruption, both political and of the soul.

Learn more about NerdBurger Games and CAPERS products on our website and Discord.

When playing any CAPERS game, each player (and the GM) uses their own deck of standard, poker-style playing cards (52 suit cards plus 2 jokers) to determine if a character succeeds at difficult tasks.

The pip value of the card you flip (2, 3, and so on, up to ace high) determines success versus failure. The card’s suit determines the DEGREE of success or failure, starting at clubs (the worst) and going alphabetically upward to spades (the best). You’ll be able to flip multiple cards based on your character’s capability. You might flip the king of clubs, certainly a success with a king, but just barely a success. Clubs comes with a complication.

Do you settle for barely successful and a complication or flip another card, hoping for a better result? Each flip is a gamble, risking failure.

If you back for a level that gets you CAPERS Noir, this is what you get:

A PDF of CAPERS Noir, in full color, including all unlocked stretch goals.

A link to purchase a softcover book at cost from DriveThruRPG.com later. See “Ordering Physical Books” for more information.

A thank-you in the book's credits.

Refer to individual backer tiers for other rewards specific to that level:

We've hit the funding goal, so we can make the slimmest version of the book. It'll have plenty of good stuff in there. BUT, we want to fatten this book up. Stretch goals will help us do that.

STRETCH GOAL #1 - POWERS AND OPTIONS - UNLOCKED - $1400 - Two additional powers and some more character options will be added to the book.

STRETCH GOAL #6 - NPCs AND LIFE AFTER DEATH - UNLOCKED - $4600 - More NPCs and guidelines for playing ghost and revenant characters.

STRETCH GOAL #7 - ADVENTURE AND MYSTERY GENERATOR - LOCKED - $5200 - A CAPERS Noir adventure PDF and an Excel spreadsheet "Mystery Generator" that will create the bones of a CAPERS Noir mystery with the press of a button.

There will be some support material that comes separate from the book. You'll get all of these items as part of your rewards for the Kickstarter. So far, we have:

A form-fillable PDF character sheet, customized for CAPERS Noir play.

More to come. Stay tuned!

Not satisfied with what's listed in the backer levels? We've got you covered. You can also get one or both of our previous RPGs in PDF. And you can get extra decks of CAPERS playing cards at-cost.

If you want an add-on, leave your backer level as it is and increase your pledge amount by the specified amount of money. You'll tell us what add-ons you increased your pledge to get in your backer survey.

Please read all of this before you back at the Comic Character level. Be SURE you can abide by these rules before backing.

If you choose the Comic Character backer level, your likeness will be featured in the comic as a character intrinsic to the story being told (you won’t be a “background extra”.) Your character will be featured prominently in at least one panel of the comic. Earlier backers get better choices of options. You will also get image files of the comic for your own personal, non-commercial use. (Alternatively, the likeness can be of another person, with their permission.)

We will contact you after you back to confer about your character and secure reference photos for the artist. Please respond promptly. There will be specific roles needed for the comic. Responding quickly ensures you get a better choice of roles. If you take a week to respond and I contact another backer for the comic, they may take the role you favored. The last backer at this level will end up with the final role remaining, but I promise each role will be featured and important.

You must respond and provide reference photos by midnight Eastern time on Thursday, April 18th, 2019 (ONE WEEK after the campaign ends); earlier is better. Failure to do so will result in your likeness not being featured and no refund will be given. All specifics subject to designer’s approval.

Every backer gets a PDF of the book(s) they back for. But every backer will ALSO receive a link to purchase a physical book at cost from DriveThruRPG's print on demand service. You'll also pay shipping then.

CAPERS Noir is being offered as a softcover. The CAPERS RPG core book is available in both softcover and hardcover. For the CAPERS RPG book, you'll tell us whether you want a discount code for a softcover or hardcover in your backer survey.

The at-cost prices are just what it takes to print the book, so they're super-cheap!

Cost will vary based on which book you're getting printed and cover choice. Approximate costs are provided below. These numbers assume printing in the US and shipping to backers in the US. Shipping to other places will vary. Costs are approximate.

The books can also be printed in the UK. DriveThruRPG automatically figures out which printing location is best for you based on your location.

CAPERS RPG Core Book

DriveThruRPG's shipping services don't include VAT or tax for Canada, Australia, or the European Union (though Brexit may change some of this in the future).

If you back at the Every CAPERS Product So Far level, you'll receive links to purchase the following ADDITIONAL items at cost. You'll pay shipping then, too.

Approximate costs in USD are:

CAPERS Themed Playing Cards: $5 USD

Moxie Deck: $4.50 USD

Paper Minis: $1.25 USD

Poster Maps: $4 USD

These items are optional and not required to play the game. But they're a lot of fun. When you purchase the card decks, you can get a clear plastic deckbox for $1 USD extra. Shipping for these items individually doesn't generally rise above $4 USD. Ordering multiple items together may get you a better shipping rate.

DriveThruCards only prints these items in the United States and international shipping costs can get pricey because VAT is charged. You have been warned.

Here are the people who made CAPERSNoir.

Craig Campbell - Lead Designer

Elizabeth Chaipraditkul - Additional Design (Los Angeles backdrop)

Chris Sniezak - Additional Design (investigation rules)

Beth Varni - Cover and Interior Artwork

Vincent Harper - Editing and Proofreading

Michael Brock - Cartography

Owen St. Gelais - Graphic Design and Layout

Craig recently ran CAPERS on the Roll4It Twitch channel. Episodes are archived on their YouTube channel. It's not the Noir variant, but it provides a good sense of the game system.

Craig talked about CAPERS Noir and all his game design work on Story Always.

Craig talked about CAPERS Noir and RPG supplements in general with The RPG Academy.

CAPERS Noir is fully designed, playtested, and edited. Final production work (including artwork, graphic design, and layout) are underway right now. Your pledge will go toward funding all of the final work needed to make the book.

The final product will be an 8-1/2”x11” game book filled with color artwork that launches you into a world of criminals, cops, mystery, and monsters...and super-powers!

Risks and challenges

We understand the challenges of successfully fulfilling a crowdfunding campaign. We've studied the Kickstarter process in depth. Our previous three crowdfunding efforts saw fulfillment on time, all within seven months of the end of the Kickstarter.

Barring illness or the apocalypse, we are confident we will get the game to you by October of 2019. If delays arise, we'll let you know. NerdBurger Games is committed to being a game company that turns around Kickstarter rewards efficiently and in a timely manner.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $35 or more
About $35

Every CAPERS Product So Far

You get a PDF copy of CAPERS Noir and a discount link to purchase a softcover at cost. You get a thank-you in the book.

You get a CAPERS RPG PDF and a discount link to purchase a softcover or hardcover at cost after backer surveys are collected.

You get discount links to purchase both the CAPERS playing card deck and the Moxie deck at cost (optional; not necessary to play the game). You get discount links to purchase the CAPERS paper minis and poster maps at cost (optional; not necessary to play the game). You get all the PDF support materials for CAPERS.

PDFs and discount links for all items that are already complete will be sent out after backer surveys are collected.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $49 or more
About $49

Joes and Janes

You get everything from either the $10, $23, or $35 backer level, your choice. If you just want CAPERS Noir, you get that. If you want everything we've produced for CAPERS, you get that. You'll let us know what you want in the backer survey.

In addition, you'll help design a special "Joe or Jane," an everyday (non-gangster, non-cop) person with super-powers, who will appear in the game.

You’ll work with the designer to develop the character. The character will get a full stat block and a brief description.

We will contact you shortly after you back to confer about your character. Earlier backers get better choices of options. Please respond promptly. You must provide all character information requested by midnight Eastern time on Tuesday, April 30th, 2019. Failure to do so will result in your character not being included in the game and no refund will be given. Character idea is subject to designer’s approval.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $79 or more
About $79

Gloam Denizen

You get everything from either the $10, $23, or $35 backer level, your choice. If you just want CAPERS Noir, you get that. If you want everything we've produced for CAPERS, you get that. You'll let us know what you want in the backer survey.

In addition, you'll help design a monster character (a ghost, revenant, or the like).

You’ll work with the designer to develop the monster character. They will get a full stat block and a two paragraph description.

We will contact you shortly after you back to confer about your monster character. Earlier backers get better choices of options. Please respond promptly. You must provide all monster character information requested by midnight Eastern time on Tuesday, April 30th, 2019. Failure to do so will result in your monster character not being included in the game and no refund will be given. Character idea is subject to designer’s approval.

Note that this level does NOT provide for an illustration of the monster.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $99 or more
About $99

Comic Character

You get everything from either the $10, $23, or $35 backer level, your choice. If you just want CAPERS Noir, you get that. If you want everything we've produced for CAPERS, you get that. You'll let us know what you want in the backer survey.

In addition, your likeness will be featured in the comic as a character intrinsic to the story being told (not a “background extra”.) Your character will be featured prominently in at least one panel of the comic. Earlier backers get better choices of options. You will also get image files of the comic for your own personal, non-commercial use.

We will contact you after you back to confer about your character and secure reference photos for the artist. Please respond promptly. You must respond and provide reference photos by midnight Eastern time on Thursday, April 18th, 2019 (ONE WEEK after the campaign ends). Failure to do so will result in your likeness not being featured and no refund will be given. Specifics subject to designer's approval.